Received from Liz Parer-Cook
I hope this isn't too close to a commercial...
Bill
Australia Land of Parrots
Premieres Sunday 4 May, 7.30pm
On ABC1
Discover the beauty, brilliance and behaviour of Australia's most
conspicuous birds - parrots and cockatoos in Australia Land of Parrots
which goes to air THIS Sunday ,4th May on ABC1 at 7.30pm.
Varieties of parrots and cockatoos thrive across Australia and often in
large numbers. From the dense rainforests of the tropical north to the
cold, wind-swept coast of southern Australia and the arid deserts of the
interior. Australia Land of Parrots explores the spectacular and
bizarre behaviour of Australia's wild parrots and cockatoos across the
varied landscapes of the island continent.
In the tropical rainforests of northern Australia the female Eclectus
Parrot defies every rule in the evolutionary rule book. Instead of
being drab, like most female birds, she's brightly coloured. Rob
Heinsohn wanted to know why. They live high up in trees and although
Rob is afraid of heights, he's been studying them for years and has
discovered something truly unique.
Meanwhile the decade-long drought in the centre of Australia has broken
and Budgerigars gather to breed. Time is short - they quickly pair up,
lay eggs and rear their young, all in the space of a few months. They
are normally nomads who roam around in small flocks searching for seeds,
but now there's millions of them flocking and the predators know it.
Parrots are very adaptable, the southern coast of Australia is battered
by fierce weather yet Rock Parrots live along the shoreline. Gang Gangs
and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos thrive on the native vegetation in
southern temperate forests, surviving wildfires which sweep through
banksias and eucalypts.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Little Corellas and Galahs have been quick to
take advantage of opportunities arising from modern farming. With food
and water easily available, their populations have exploded, causing
havoc for farmers. Thousands of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos are driving
many peanut farmers out of business and marauding flocks of Rainbow
Lorikeets are invading orchards and big cities in search of an easy
meal.
But not all parrots are thriving. In the far north, one thousand
Golden-Shouldered Parrots are all that's left of a remarkable species
that was once common. They breed in spire-shaped termite mounds -
temperature regulated condos for their young.
One of the most amazing parrots is the rare Palm Cockatoo who lives up
north. Imitating their calls, Steve Murphy has been tracking them for
years trying to work out how they live and he's uncovered some amazing
behaviour.
For more information please contact
Liz Parer-Cook at
Australia Land of Parrots
Website features a series of interviews with some of the people involved
in the production
www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/interactive/parrots
This will be an interactive website which contains:-
* Opening sequence of the feature program.
* Producer and director discuss production.
* Composer talks about the process of creating the music.
* Sound effects editor discusses how he creates the sound for the
program.
* Vision editor discusses picture editing.
* Cameraman erecting a filming tower.
* Cameraman filming landscapes from aircraft.
* A "Twitcher's gallery" is narrated by world-famous twitcher, Sean
Dooley, and shows clips of Australia's most beautiful parrots and
cockatoos.
==============================www.birding-aus.org
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